The afternoon air was cool.
For the first time in days, it didn't smell of smoke, blood, or fear.Only damp earth, and the distant murmur of people reorganizing inside the city.
Emily walked at a slow pace beside Lusian, skirting the inner courtyard of the fortress. The walls stood behind them, held together by patches of magic and makeshift planks. But there were no more roars, no pounding, no screams.
For the first time, the silence was a relief.
Lusian broke the quiet with a simple remark.
"Looks like they're repairing the courtyard well."
Emily glanced at him from the corner of her eye.It wasn't the topic she'd expected, but… it was nice to hear something normal.
"Yes…" she replied, almost in a whisper. "It broke on the second day of the siege. People fought over what little water was left. I never thought I'd live to see something like that."
Lusian nodded.
He didn't say I have, nor did he correct her with military experience.He simply listened.
After a few steps, he asked, "Did you rest last night?"
Emily took a deep breath.
"I slept… a little." Her lips trembled, remembering the nights before. "It wasn't like before. I didn't wake up to screaming. That alone is… a lot."
"I'm glad," Lusian said, his voice softer than usual. "You deserve to sleep in peace."
Emily lowered her gaze.
It was strange—a noble speaking to her as if she were an equal.But she didn't feel uneasy.
Not with him.
"You should rest too, you know," she murmured, attempting a small note of humor. "Ever since you arrived, you haven't stopped."
"If I stop, my men will too." A faint smile touched his lips. "And I'm not sure you saw Albert's face when I told him to check the supplies. He looked like he was about to faint."
Emily laughed quietly.
She had almost forgotten what it felt like to laugh without fear.
They walked a little farther.
At her side, Lusian clasped his hands behind his back.
"I suppose…" he said, a touch awkwardly, "I should thank you for keeping the people alive. That couldn't have been easy."
Emily stopped for a moment.
Something in his words struck deep.
"I didn't manage it completely." Her voice wavered. "Many didn't listen. And others… it's already too late for them."
Lusian didn't correct her. He didn't say you did your best.Nor did he offer empty comfort.
He simply replied, "The ones who are here are alive because of you. Don't forget that."
Emily drew in a long breath.
"I'm not used to being praised," she admitted after a few seconds, trying to lighten the emotion. "I don't even know how to respond without sounding foolish."
"Then just accept that I'm saying it because it's true," he said.
She pressed her lips together… and finally smiled.
They continued walking.
The sun began to sink behind the walls, painting everything in red and gold. The wind gently stirred Emily's hair, still disheveled from days of strain. But her steps no longer trembled.
"You know," she said, watching the sky, "I didn't think I'd ever feel… safe again. Even for a moment."
Lusian tilted his head slightly.
"As long as I'm here, I won't let anything happen to you."
Emily felt her heart tighten.
It wasn't an empty promise.It didn't sound like a noble speaking out of obligation.
It was simple.Sincere.And after everything they had endured… that was enough.
"Thank you, Lusian," she whispered. "Truly… thank you."
He only nodded, and they kept walking, no need for more words.
At last, after so many days of darkness, the city of Carter breathed again.
And so did Emily.
The central square felt different.
Not because anything in its structure had changed—the same stone houses, the same shuttered shops, the same cracked fountains—
but because the sound had changed.
Just days ago, all Emily heard were sobs, screams, desperate orders.
Now—
"Jonah, put that down! I told you not to eat any more monster meat—do you want to get sick?""But Mom, I'm hungry!""And I'm afraid you'll get mana fever!"
People scolding.Children running.Elderly voices whispering prayers of gratitude as they received a warm bowl of food.
It wasn't joy.
But it was a reprieve.
A reprieve no one had known a week ago.
Emily walked slowly across the square beside Lusian. People looked at them with a mixture of relief and exhaustion, as if they still feared it might all be a dream.
Lusian observed the scene in silence, simply noting who was eating, who needed help, who looked weak.
Emily lowered her eyes.
"There were times," she said softly, "when I thought I'd never see the city like this again. With noise. With people alive."
Lusian nodded slightly.
"I suppose we all thought the same."
She let out a shaky breath.
"I did everything I could… and even so… it felt like nothing was enough."
"No one could have done more," he replied calmly.
He didn't say you did well, or you did the right thing.Just something simple, but firm.Something that didn't sound like hollow consolation.
Emily gestured toward the covered wagons where soldiers were unloading sacks and crates.
"Is all of that the food you brought? It looks like much more than I expected."
"It should have been more," he admitted, without dramatics.
She frowned.
"What happened?"
Lusian paused for a second before answering.
"We found people on the road. More than I imagined… too many." He ran a hand along his neck, as if reliving the scene. "Families hiding under collapsed houses, in cellars, in wells… waiting for something to find them. A monster—or anything."
Emily didn't need more details. The way he said it was enough.
"And you used part of the provisions for them?"
"I couldn't leave them to die," he replied simply.
There was no regret.But no pride, either.Just a decision he made because he wouldn't have slept otherwise.
Emily felt a knot tighten in her throat.
"You don't have to apologize," she said carefully. "Some of those people… belong to my territory. If you hadn't saved them, no one would have reached them in time."
Lusian lowered his gaze briefly, as if confirming that his actions had been worth it.
"I wanted to tell you personally," he said.
She nodded, breathing easier.
And for the first time since the siege…
she realized she hadn't worried about Lusian.
She had assumed he would arrive.That he would survive.That he would win.
As if it were inevitable.
Now she understood it wasn't.
Around them, soldiers opened barrels that hummed faintly with the runes carved into them. Rings, bracelets, and small metal boxes pulsed with soft light each time a soldier pulled a sack or container from their hidden interior.
Emily immediately recognized the waves of spatial mana. After all, she still wore on her finger the Ætherion ring the Sneider family had given her for her engagement—one of the most valuable artifacts in the entire kingdom.
Even so, she crouched to touch one of the metal barrels. The container vibrated beneath her fingers, as if it held a compressed river inside.
"I've never seen so many artifacts together," she admitted, slightly startled. "Not even at the Sneider estate."
Lusian smiled, a trace of restrained pride in his expression.
"That's because they're not common. The Arcanum"—he gestured to the rings and bracelets his soldiers wore—"require extremely precise engraving. The Douglas family has invested in them for generations. And that wagon over there"—he indicated the reinforced structure plated in black—"is a Relic. Even for us, having one operational is a luxury."
Emily nodded slowly.
"The Ætherion the Sneiders gave us…" She looked at her ring, gleaming in the light. "It was the highest tier I'd ever seen. I didn't think anything existed beyond that."
"Ætherion are unique-class artifacts, usually custom-made," Lusian explained, "but their capacity is often smaller than that of a Relic. The Sneiders prioritize stability and efficiency. Relics, on the other hand, are ancient remnants—massive, unpredictable, and powerful."
Emily swallowed, impressed yet composed.
It was no longer completely foreign to her… but it was still something she had never imagined seeing in operation.
"We'll need all of this," she murmured, more to herself than to him. "And even then, it might not be enough."
The seriousness returned to her voice.
"The city can't rely on monster meat. When you leave… if we don't reclaim the fields, we'll starve."
"Albert is outside clearing the surrounding area with half the troops," Lusian replied, equally serious. "If everything goes well, you'll be able to cultivate for a few weeks before the creatures return."
Emily exhaled softly, as if shedding a weight.
"Thank you… truly."
He simply looked at her.
Sometimes, a look was enough.